Cutting and Running in Iraq?

Michael Evans, writing in the Times, notes that Britain and America are preparing for an anticipated attempt on the part of al-Zarqawi to flee Iraq.

BRITAIN and the United States are training border guards in the Horn of Africa in the expectation that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, may seek sanctuary there if forced to flee Iraq.

….

Small US specialist teams, supported by British counterparts, are training border security guards and working with customs and immigration officials in the region, hoping that they will be ready to spot al-Zarqawi and other al-Qaeda leaders.

Now this is interesting! Apparently the military authorities know something the public doesn’t. Maybe stabilization is closer than the conventional wisdom would have it.

Read it here.

UPDATE:

This BBC article gives more detail on the thinking behind this effort.

It also adds this fascinating tidbit:

The US recently warned that Africa's Sahel countries, including Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad, could become a terrorist haven, and has carried out troop exercises and training efforts in the region.

It seems that the US presence in Africa is a lot greater than has been generally appreciated.